Read a recent post where there is grumbling about UL-M having no games scheduled for 2020 or beyond at http://www.fbschedules.com/ncaa/sun-belt...hawks.php, with speculation that a downgrade to FCS may be in the works. UL-M lags in last place in attendance at 12,610 per game in 2016 per CBS Sports http://www.cbssports.com/college-footbal...ght-year/, and only $12.8 million total athletic budget for all sports per UnderDogDynasty at http://www.underdogdynasty.com/2016/4/19...ian-State. All other FB teams exceed $20+ million

Quick check at http://www.fbschedules.com/ncaa/sun-belt...rhawks.php shows that all other SBC teams have future games scheduled to at least to 2023, 2025 and 2026. UL-M schedules currently concludes after the 2019 season.

Maybe, just maybe there is a glimmer of hope. And of course, to those who choose to remain FCS this obviously does not apply. Is it time to gussy up, make amends, eat come crow, and try for SBC?

We have already turned down the Sun Belt in the past. Their commissioner even publicly admit it. Our football coach has said it on radio shows.

Just stop. It's not going to happen.

I will never say never, because anything is possible. JMU holds the football program as its top prize. Perhaps it is true the admin is happy in the FCS, but maybe they realize if there is an opening, even with the SBC they will take it.

(06-09-2017 08:35 PM)hburg Wrote:  I will never say never, because anything is possible. JMU holds the football program as its top prize. Perhaps it is true the admin is happy in the FCS, but maybe they realize if there is an opening, even with the SBC they will take it.

JMU turned down the SBC around April 2014 (or that's at least when the media picked up on it). Since then:

Western Kentucky, Idaho and New Mexico State have left. Louisiana-Monroe may leave.
Appalachian State, Georgia Southern and Coastal Carolina have all joined.

The only things that have been announced since JMU turned it down was Idaho and NMSU leaving and CCU joining.

I seriously doubt CCU will be the difference in our ability to finally find the conference attractive.

We. Are. Not. Going. To. The. Sun. Belt.

Period

We are holding out for an SEC invite. Should be imminent.

Sent from my SM-G900V using CSNbbs mobile app

(06-09-2017 11:07 PM)olderduke Wrote:  We are holding out for an SEC invite. Should be imminent.

Sent from my SM-G900V using CSNbbs mobile app

Actually, the reasons for turning down the Sun Belt would also apply to the SEC (poor academics at some of the schools, olympic sports would have extensive travel to Texas, Miss., Missouri, etc). So our admin. Would probably turn that down as well.

The only possible way this would happen would be if we determine that it's unlikely that the SBC - as presently constructed - will be around for much longer. I think that if we want to have any prayer at getting invited to one of the mystical new reconfigured regional conferences, we're going to have to already be playing big boy football and have a seat at the G5 table when the golden tickets are handed out.

Our last SBC invite was football-only, which to me would have been a no-brainer (unless Yeager was threatening to boot our other sports if football left). Not sure if an offer for all sports this time around, or the promise of a changing regional landscape would tilt the math for us this time, but if we don't do something soon, I'm afraid FBS will altogether cease to be a possibility.

Do you have any proof to back up the claim that our SBC invite was football only? It's my understanding that at the time, the SBC wanted only full time commitments. JMU probably would've bitten on it if it was in fact football only.

(06-10-2017 12:26 PM)Potomac Wrote:  Do you have any proof to back up the claim that our SBC invite was football only? It's my understanding that at the time, the SBC wanted only full time commitments. JMU probably would've bitten on it if it was in fact football only.

This is what I understand as well.

(06-10-2017 12:23 PM)91Alum Wrote:  The only possible way this would happen would be if we determine that it's unlikely that the SBC - as presently constructed - will be around for much longer. I think that if we want to have any prayer at getting invited to one of the mystical new reconfigured regional conferences, we're going to have to already be playing big boy football and have a seat at the G5 table when the golden tickets are handed out.

Our last SBC invite was football-only, which to me would have been a no-brainer (unless Yeager was threatening to boot our other sports if football left). Not sure if an offer for all sports this time around, or the promise of a changing regional landscape would tilt the math for us this time, but if we don't do something soon, I'm afraid FBS will altogether cease to be a possibility.

As others said, you got it backwards.

We would have done football only. The sun belt said all or nothing

(06-10-2017 11:06 AM)White Hall Wrote:  

(06-09-2017 11:07 PM)olderduke Wrote:  We are holding out for an SEC invite. Should be imminent.

Sent from my SM-G900V using CSNbbs mobile app

Actually, the reasons for turning down the Sun Belt would also apply to the SEC (poor academics at some of the schools, olympic sports would have extensive travel to Texas, Miss., Missouri, etc). So our admin. Would probably turn that down as well.

Not to mention another conference, but no way we'd travel all the way to Fla St either.

So, if there is a reshuffling or opening in the SBC, seems like most would rather stay as is as few have have expressed a desire to do what it would take to acquire FBS. It seemed a possible opening with the 3 points I made that are a weakness of UL-M being strong points for JMU. And if JMU fans are so jaded by being jerked around by being teased with dangling carrots by the admins, that position is understood too. Take the post as a compliment to the JMU program rather than a poke in the eye.

(06-10-2017 01:05 PM)Duke Dawg Wrote:  

(06-10-2017 12:23 PM)91Alum Wrote:  The only possible way this would happen would be if we determine that it's unlikely that the SBC - as presently constructed - will be around for much longer. I think that if we want to have any prayer at getting invited to one of the mystical new reconfigured regional conferences, we're going to have to already be playing big boy football and have a seat at the G5 table when the golden tickets are handed out.

Our last SBC invite was football-only, which to me would have been a no-brainer (unless Yeager was threatening to boot our other sports if football left). Not sure if an offer for all sports this time around, or the promise of a changing regional landscape would tilt the math for us this time, but if we don't do something soon, I'm afraid FBS will altogether cease to be a possibility.

As others said, you got it backwards.

We would have done football only. The sun belt said all or nothing

This is correct, they really didn't need another football team. What they were looking for was a travel partner for Appy for all the sports other than football. For example, this would have allowed TX State to have flown their MBB team into Greensboro and been able to play JMU one night and Appy two days later saving a small fortune in travel costs when you do this for all your sports.

Appy was the only SB school without a travel partner, now Coastal has filled that need. Should LA Monroe pull out, the SB would be looking for someone who they can match up with as a travel partner. Should it be JMU, it would take a major reshuffling something like APPY/JMU, CCSU/GA Southern, GA State/Troy, USA/LA Lafayette, etc.

(06-09-2017 08:35 PM)hburg Wrote:  I will never say never, because anything is possible. JMU holds the football program as its top prize. Perhaps it is true the admin is happy in the FCS, but maybe they realize if there is an opening, even with the SBC they will take it.

This admin won't leave the CAA period. The only reason they say they would entertain a new G5 conference is because there is no new G5 conference.

Alger & Bourne = CAA4LYFE

Perhaps instead of starting the same thread for the 3,457th different time, maybe just post it in one of the 3,456 other threads about the exact same topic? It's not too hard, really.
It's not us deciding on something like we have any say or ability to make it happen, it's us stating the obvious.

JMU's administration has zero interest in the sun belt conference. They literally turned it down four years ago.

No magical amount of message board threads is going to change that fact.

Can we again debate about whether or not JMU was extended an invitation by the SBC? Jeff Bourne has stated on numerous occasions, "I don't have an invite in may hands." We can at least discuss again whether or not Bourne's statement was just a little white lie or was based on intent to deceive JMU fans that don't read this board everyday.

Maybe we should discuss whether or not UL-Monroe not scheduling games beyond 2023 means our Jeffrey will hold and invite in his hands if JMU "will dance if asked to dance," another Jeff Bourne meaningless, nebulous and un-measureable comment offed to a fellow peer at the Arlington Coaches Caravan a few weeks ago.

(06-10-2017 05:03 PM)Potomac Wrote:  Perhaps instead of starting the same thread for the 3,457th different time, maybe just post it in one of the 3,456 other threads about the exact same topic? It's not too hard, really.
It's not us deciding on something like we have any say or ability to make it happen, it's us stating the obvious.

JMU's administration has zero interest in the sun belt conference. They literally turned it down four years ago.

No magical amount of message board threads is going to change that fact.

Potomac, when I read the article about UL-M, before I made the post, I did check to see if there was a thread about the article on the JMU site. Seemed like a news tidbit just released. It was not an impulsive, blind post. Seems like you are a little touchy about the issue. The post was made in an earnest attempt to bring info that I had not seen before. Not another "3,457th different time" post.

(06-11-2017 10:12 AM)NewTimes Wrote:  

(06-10-2017 05:03 PM)Potomac Wrote:  Perhaps instead of starting the same thread for the 3,457th different time, maybe just post it in one of the 3,456 other threads about the exact same topic? It's not too hard, really.
It's not us deciding on something like we have any say or ability to make it happen, it's us stating the obvious.

JMU's administration has zero interest in the sun belt conference. They literally turned it down four years ago.

No magical amount of message board threads is going to change that fact.

Potomac, when I read the article about UL-M, before I made the post, I did check to see if there was a thread about the article on the JMU site. Seemed like a news tidbit just released. It was not an impulsive, blind post. Seems like you are a little touchy about the issue. The post was made in an earnest attempt to bring info that I had not seen before. Not another "3,457th different time" post.

I think the post is news worthy. Why is there no UL-Monroe scheduled games beyond 2020? I am interested to know. If they do drop to FCS, they will be the second school to do so. Who else will follow? Schools dropping is a game changer and opens the door for others to follow. It will be interesting to see who does.